The French Rugby Federation and the National League have unveiled a list of 14 players who can be freely requested by the French 7-a-side team for its “Objective 2028”. The Lyonnais Ethan Dumortier appears there in particular.
An Olympic title is defensible. The French Rugby Federation (FFR) and the National Rugby League (LNR) announced, this Thursday via a press release, the extension of their system in favor of making rugby union players available to the rugby team. France at 7. The objective? Put all the chances on their side to best prepare for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where “France 7” will have to defend its gold medal obtained last summer at the Stade de France against Fiji thanks in particular to the Antoine festival Dupont.
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«Following the excellent results of the French 7s team during international tournaments last season, notably marked by the title of world champion won last May in Madrid and the apotheosis of the first gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the FFR and the LNR have decided to continue their efforts and their joint work for the development of rugby sevens and the performances of the French team», Details the joint press release.
Dumortier and Garcia available “freely”
As such, a “Objective 2028” list of 14 players from 14 Top 14 clubs has been established. These players could be “freely requested» by the French team at 7 during the next two seasons (2024/2025, 2025/2026) «within the limit of 12 weeks per season» (84 days) in order to participate in international tournaments. Note that this list includes 2024 Olympic champions (Timo, Rebbadj, Zeghdar) but Antoine Dupont, back as captain of the XV of France, is unsurprisingly absent. On the other hand, the Lyonnais Ethan Dumortier, who has six selections with the Blues of Fabien Galthié, appears there as does the Bordelo-Béglais Mateo Garcia.
The 14 Top 14 players present from the “Objective 2028” List revealed by the FFR and the LNR: Enzo Benmegal (RC Vannes), Hoani Bosmorin (Stade Rochelais), Auguste Cadot (Montpellier Hérault Rugby), Esteban Capilla (Aviron Bayonnais), Thomas Carol (Section Paloise), Dimitri Delibes (Stade Toulousain), Ethan Dumortier (LOU Rugby), Yerim Fall (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Mateo Garcia (Union Bordeaux-Bègles), Jefferson-Lee Joseph (USA Perpignan), Paul Leraitre (Racing 92), Ryan Rebbadj (RC Toulon), Andy Timo (Stade Français) and Antoine Zeghdar (Castres Olympique).
At the end of the 2025/2026 financial year, “an assessment will be made» with a view to the Olympic preparation which will take the Blues to the United States in the summer of 2028. To this end, the France 7s group will also be completed during the Olympiad by “players under federal contract dedicated to the French 7s team, players under training agreements with professional clubs benefiting from a tripartite agreement with the FFR and, temporarily and on a limited basis, by players from professional clubs ( according to pre-established terms between the FFR, the LNR and the professional clubs).»
Players under tripartite agreement: Grégoire Arfeuil (Section Paloise), Romain Gardrat (Union Bordeaux-Bègles), Victor Hannoun (Aviron Bayonnais), Léo Monin (Stade Français), Célian Pouzelgues (Stade Toulousain) and Joe Quere Karaba (RC Toulon)
Players under federal FFR contract: Enohan Artaud, Ali Dabo, Liam Delamare, Simon Desert, William Iraguha, Stephen Parez, Varian Pasquet, Paulin Riva, Jordan Sepho
We are doing everything we can to ensure the future success of the French 7s team until the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
René Bouscatel, president of the LNR.
«Thanks to this new agreement, the LNR and French professional rugby clubs are strengthening their support for the French 7s team. We are very happy to perpetuate this dynamic initiated for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and are doing everything we can to ensure the future success of the French 7s team, until the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles», welcomed the president of the LNR René Bouscatel.
«After the Olympic coronation in Paris, our objective is clear: consolidate and develop a performance plan so that the elite of French rugby sevens is represented at the world summit until the Los Angeles 2028 Gamescontinued Jean-Marc Lhermet, vice-president of the FFR in charge of high level and match officials. Thanks to this joint effort, we are making the preparation of France 7 a priority, convinced that these actions are pillars for the future of rugby French on the international scene.”
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